Thursday, March 27, 2008

from the 2/16/08 posting

2/16/08 – A couple chapters into the rewrite of the novel. It is truly a rewrite, as I’m changing the tense of the novel from past to present, and heeding the advice of my better half. Pace of work is virtually identical to original writing. Spring Break is just a couple weeks away & I’ll be able to devote many days to the novel.

Hops - Not only is the water shortage bad enough, there’s a worldwide shortage of hops! No big deal, you say? Well the price of beer is about to shoot up (think supply and demand curve), and the amount homebrewers can purchase at a time is limited. I’ve mentioned it before, and it’s been featured twice in BYO magazine. It’s enough to make a grown man cry. Think Hank Williams, “There’s a tear in my beer…”

Homebrew – It’s finally been decided. I’m going to brew a Pilsner Urquell clone within the next week or two. While the temperature is still low, I can leave the carboy in the garage during fermentation. Its yeast needs a cooler temperature than ales.

Speaking of lagers and ales, the World Beer Fest is coming to Raleigh on April 26th. My better half and I went last year and had a blast. Will scoop up a pair of tickets as soon as they go on sale.

Football withdrawal? The only thing I know of to help tide a person over is Madden and NCAA. Of course the draft is coming soon, but no one can watch that on TV unless they have the NFL network. I hope the Panthers pick either Mario Manningham from Michigan or Limas Sweed from Texas. Both are fantastic playmaking wide receivers and Carolina is in dire need of another one to compliment Steve Smith. Either one could challenge Jarrett for the second starting job – which he hasn’t even earned yet - and the loser could play the slot. This could conceivably turn a glaring weakness into a strength.


Movies – The better half and I watched Mr. Woodcock last weekend. Several truly “laugh out loud” (sorry for dropping a cliché) moments, but some “doesn’t make sense” parts too. I know it’s a comedy, but how Mr. Woodcock won the “educator of the year” award was never explained. The guy was despicable and it’s never addressed, except by the main character.

Guitar Hero III – The better half and I jumped into the 2008 year of gaming with our purchase of an Xbox 360 and Guitar Hero III. Everyone has fun playing it. The kids like to strum and dance along. They call it “girls rock!” and “boys rock!” Even my parents played it and had fun. Took it over to their house for a recent family gathering too. It’s been a real hit. Whereas with Madden it’s basically me and a pint playing together against the computer.

Old Guy Radio – (an homage to Tony Kornheiser) Tom Petty was phenomenal for the Superbowl half time show. Heard several critics pan him. Nonsense, I say. Everyone at the party I attended loved it. He played a medley of his classic hits, and it was just a great little rock ‘n roll show. It was perfect. Reminded me of the U2 halftime show from the ’01-’02 season Superbowl. If you want to hear a classic Petty CD, check out Full Moon Fever.
Sword Song – The 4th novel in the Saxon Tales centers around the battle for Lundene (modern day London). Almost finished it, but am very torn. It’s hard to put down, but a part of me doesn’t want to finish it because it will be quite some time before Uhtred and his sword, Serpent Breath, vanquish more foes. Please, Mr. Cornwell, feed the appetites of Uhtred fans with the same voracious fervor as you did Sharpe fans. If you haven’t read any of his work, Cornwell intersperses beautifully descriptive language between incredibly vivid and bloody battle scenes. I absolutely love his Saxon Tales, and if you know of any novels that come close to these, please let me know. Thanks!